Family Conflict and
Mother-Infant
Physiological Regulation
Ginger A. Moore
PSU Prevention Research Center
April 7, 2010
Acknowledgments
• NSF BCS-0126475 DCHD Study
Martha Cox, Susan Calkins
• NICHD R03 RO3HD043181 “Infants’ Responses to InterAdult Anger”
• Graduate student/postdoctoral researchers:
Cathi Propper
Roger Mills-Koonce
Tina DuRocher Schudlich
Ashley Hill-Soderlund
Amy Mariaskin
Katherine Hutchinson
Anneliese Bass
Rachel Hutt
Tassie Hajal
Micah Mammen
Caroline Pemberton
Helen Tam
• The families who participated in these studies
Why Study Vagal Regulation?
• VR is an important indicator of healthy development
underlying critical mechanisms of self-regulation
Effective VR associated with optimal outcomes (Doussard-
•
Roosevelt et al., 1997, 2001; Field & Diego, 2008)
• Atypical VR characterizes behavioral & emotional D/O
(Beauchaine, Gatzke-Kopp, & Mead, 2007)
• Risk contexts associated with atypical VR
• Responsive to experience and intervention
o Early Parenting Env (Burgess et al., 2003; Propper et al., 2009)
o Touch/Massage (Feldman et al., 2010, 2003; Field, 1995)
o Exercise, Biofeedback (Al-Ani et al, 1996; Khaykin et al., 1993)
Why Study Family Conflict?
Effects on Child Development
• INT and EXT disorders
• Parent-child and sib conflict
• Victims or perpetrators of
minor and severe violence
(Cummings, Davies, El-Sheikh; Gottman, Katz;
Jouriles; Crockenberg; Emery; Cox)
• Negative effects on physiological
reactivity & regulation (Cummings,
Ballard, El-Sheikh; Gottman, Katz)
• Effective VR buffers children from
behavior problems associated
with parent conflict (El-Sheikh, Harger, &
Whitson, 2001; Gottman & Katz )
Why Study VR/Family Conflict
during Infancy?
• Early emotionally challenging experiences have
long-term impact on neurological &
physiological development (Panksepp, 2001; Schore, 2000;
Spangler et al., 1993, 1994)
• Highest levels occur during
•
•
infancy and preschool
DV households more likely have
children < age 5
Children <5 more likely to
witness multiple incidents
Conceptual Model
Parent
Conflict/
Anger
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Sensitive parenting facilitates organization of infants’
•
•
•
developing physiological systems
Conflict may have direct effects on infant & mother VR
Sensitive parenting is affected by conflict (Spillover Theory)
Possibly mediated by Mothers’ VR
Overview of the Talk
Parent
Conflict/
Anger
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Background on Methods
• I. Parent Conflict & Anger: Relations with VR
• II. Mothers’ VR and Parenting Sensitivity
• III. G x E in Infants’ Developing VR
• Implications for Intervention
Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2007)
• Vagal Tone reflects PNS influence
o Engagement with social environment
o Coping in response to stress/change
• Measured by RSA and ΔRSA to change/stress
• Still-Face Paradigm (Tronick et al., 1978)
• Dynamic changes in VT
o RSA Activation (↑VT) = well-regulated state
o RSA Withdrawal (↓VT) = need to regulate
I. Conflict/Anger and VR
Parent
Conflict/
Anger
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Is Parent Conflict related to infants’ VR?
• Does direct exposure to anger influence infants’
and mothers’ VR?
Parent Conflict Related to Infants’
Lower RSA
6 month old infants’ RSA across baseline and episodes of
the SFP by mothers’ report of parent conflict
Moore (2010) Development and Psychopathology
Infants exposed to ANGER showed
greater RSA to a stressor
Infant ΔRSA from baseline
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
Non-Anger
0
-0.1
*
*
Anger
-0.2
-0.3
Emotion Normal Play Still Face
Exposure
Reunion
Note. Positive values = RSA activation, negative values = RSA withdrawal
Moore (2009) Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry
Mothers exposed to ANGER showed
greater RSA in all conditions
Mother ΔRSA from baseline
0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
Non-Anger
Anger
-0.4
-0.5
-0.6
Emotion
Exposure
Normal Play
Still Face
Note. All mothers showed RSA withdrawal.
Reunion
II. Spillover Theory and VR
Parent
Conflict
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Is Spillover mediated mothers’ physiological regulation?
• Mothers’ RSA stable across time r’s = .68 to .73
• Across couples’ conflict discussion and mother-infant SFP
interactions r’s = .62 to .74
Mothers’ behavior in couples’ conflict
discussion predicts parenting sensitivity
-.88***
NEGATIVE
Conflict
Behavior
-.43*
POSITIVE
Conflict
Behavior
∆RSA
Conflict
Discussion
.69*
.63*
.45*
Parenting
Sensitivity
Moore, DuRocher Schudlich, Propper, Heilbron, & Cox, in prep.
III. Development of Infant VR
Parent
Conflict/
Anger
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Does Parenting Sensitivity influence the
•
development of infants’ VR?
Are there G x E effects on the development of
infants’ VR?
Gene-Environment Effects on RSA
Dopamine
genes
DRD2
Taq1 A1
Infant RSA
regulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
Behavioral
Control
Problems
• “Plausible Triad:” Parenting x DRD2 A1+ = RSA
• BAS + VR place children at risk due to chronically low
dopamine activity (Beauchaine, 2001)
DRD2 A1+ related to ineffective VR
GxE moderated by Parenting Sensitivity
Measures
•
•
Maternal sensitivity 6 mos in Free Play
Infant RSA stress conditions
o 3 and 6 mos in Still-Face episode of SFP
o 12 mos in 2nd separation of SS
• Infant DNA Sample
o Buccal (cheek) cells
o Genotyping for DRD2 polymorphisms
o Groups:
• Non-risk = (A1-/A1-) (54%)
• Risk = (A1-/A1+) or (A1+/A1+) (46%)
Maternal sensitivity moderates the
relation between DRD2 and ΔRSA
0.6
Three-way interaction among DRD2
group, maternal sensitivity, and
time (F(2, 243) = 3.95, p < .05)
0.4
Δ RSA
0.2
0
*
*
*
-0.2
-0.4
3M SFP
6M SFP
12M SS
Risk ↓ Sensitivity
Risk ↑ Sensitivity
Non-Risk ↓ Sensitivity
Non-Risk ↑ Sensitivity
Propper, et al., 2009, Child Development
Summary
• Parent conflict related to diminished capacity
VR
• Anger ↑reactivity to stress in infants & mothers
• Parents’ ability to sensitively support infants’
regulation may be a function of effectiveness in
regulating their own arousal
• Sensitive parenting may have an positive effect
on infants’ developing physiological regulation,
particularly if infants have an innate
vulnerability
Implications
Parent
Conflict/
Anger
Mothers’
Vagal
Regulation
Infants’
Vagal
Regulation
SelfRegulation
Parenting
Sensitivity
• Conflict & Atypical VR linked to disruptive behavior D/O
• Effective VR buffers children from negative effects
• Parenting can change risk trajectories for VR
• Facilitating VR in infancy could be protective in a context that
is not always amenable to change
Implications for Intervention
• Suggest need for intervention during a
•
sensitive developmental period
Suggest several points of intervention to
prevent problems with regulation and,
therefore, risk for childhood disorders
o Couples’ therapy (Cowan & Cowan, 1996)
o Parenting Sensitivity (incorporate touch)
o Individual Parent: Physical exercise,
Relaxation/Mindfulness, & Biofeedback
o Individual CBT for depression